Insert for shaft driven rotating members



Dec. 26, 1967 c. V.GATES 3,359,912

INSERT FOR SHAFT DRIVEN ROTATING MEMBERS Filed April 19, 1966 INVENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,359,912 INSERT FOR SHAFT DRIVEN ROTATING MEMBERS Carl Victor Gates, Baldwinsvilie, N.Y., assignor to Morris Machine Works, Baldwinsville, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 19, 1966, Ser. No. 543,567 1 Claim. (Cl. 103-114) This invention relates to power-transmission shafting, and more particularly to the connection between a driven member and a driving power shaft. More specifically, the invention relates to a centrifugal pump in which the pump is submerged in a fluid containing abrasive or corrosive materials, and to the connection between the impeller of such a pump and the shaft which carries, and drives, the impeller.

Heretofore, there has been a serious problem in the manufacture and operation of pumps where a great amount of vibration exists from the rotation of the shaft and the impeller. As a result of such vibration, sheer loads, and cracking difliculties which often resulted in fractures, occurred.

As object of the present invention is to overcome such drawbacks from which such pumps normally suffered and to provide a locking device or insert between the shafts of such pumps and the impellers.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and set forth in the appended claims; it being understood that various changes in form, proportion, size and details of construction within the scope of the claim may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation, in perspective with parts broken away, of a vertically positioned pump embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a section taken on the lower portion of FIG. 1, illustrating the casing sectors of the pump and their relation to other parts of the pump.

FIG. 3 is a section taken at 3-3 of FIG. 2 showing a portion of the impeller with the locking insert connected to the shaft.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the machineable insert located in a non-machineable metal casting.

Referring to the drawings, an embodiment of the improved pump shaft and impeller showing the novel locking insert is shown. The pump shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a vertical shaft 11 which is journalled in a lower bearing 12 and an upper bearing (not shown). The lower bearing 12 is housed in a bearing housing 13 which is supported upon a bracket or pedestal 14. Power to drive the shaft is supplied by a motor 16 disposed above and in vertical alignment therewith, the pump shaft and motor being connected by a coupling (not shown).

An impeller 18 is aflixed to the shaft 11 and is held in axial position by bearing 12. The impeller 18 is afiixed to the shaft 11 by insert 19 (more clearly shown in FIG. 3). Liquid is pumped into the pump through the intake or suction chamber 20, from whence it passes through the eye of the impeller, through passages defined by the impeller vanes 21 and into an area defined by the volute 22. The liquid is discharged from the pump volute through 3,359,912. Patented Dec. 26, 1967 the discharge port 23. The impeller 18 is housed in a pump casing 24, and a peripheral wall forming a pressure chamber commonly referred to as a volute 22. The impeller 18 is mounted on shaft 11 which passes through an opening in the rear wall of the casing. The impeller comprises a disc 25 and blades 21. The impeller 18 is formed of a nonmachineable metal, such as a hard cold steel, which cannot be machined by cutting tools. The insert or locking device 19, as more fully shown in FIG. 3, is cast into the impeller and is made of a relatively soft grade of iron which is machineable. Insert 19 has right hand over left hand grooves 26 formed during the casting operation. Shaft 11 is then screwed into locking insert 19, thus securely fixing the impeller 18 onto shaft 11. Thus, the impeller 18, the surface of which is in contact with abrasive slurries, such as cement slurry, tailings in ore reduction plants, grinding and cutting sand in quarries, and corrosive liquids, such as acid slurries, soda ash, and the like, is made of a non-corrosive, and relatively non-abrading material, whereas the locking insert 19 provides a machineable metal which can be threaded for the reception of threaded shaft 11.

While the invention has been illustrated by a specific embodiment directed to centrifugal pumps and the problem which has existed where different materials are required, it will be understood that the structure described herein may be applied to other machinery, such as rockcrushers, etc.

Thus, the novel construction of the present invention provides an impeller securely mounted on the driving shaft, which is able to take the vibration, and sheer loads,

' imposed upon such a structure, which will prevent the impeller from coming loose from the shaft or setting up serious cracking which results in fractures.

Having now described my invention and in what manner the same may be used, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

I claim:

A centrifugal pump having a unitary, integral impeller comprising a main body and vanes of a hard, nonmachineable metal, and single, unitary, integral locking insert disposed between said impeller and the driving shaft to which said impeller is connected, composed of a relatively soft grade of metal which is machineable, said impeller insert having radial right hand over left hand grooves formed thereon and cast integral with said impeller, the intersurface of said locking insert being of a relatively soft metal, capable of being machined and having screw threads machined thereon for connection to the driving shaft of machineable metal.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,197,859 9/1916 Rojekof 1031 15 2,283,263 5/1942 Kates 103-114 2,347,386 4/1944 Adams 1031 14 2,908,223 10/1959 Buchi 1031 15 FOREIGN PATENTS 188,431 1/ 1957 Austria.

546,640 9/1957 Canada. 1,232,522 4/ 1960 France.

HENRY F. RADUAZO, Primary Examiner. DONLEY J. STOCKING, Examiner. 

